The NFL’s unpredictable—you can’t get too comfortable, especially if you’re a fan of the Cardinals. Just when they thought they were ready to soar with Justin Jones on board, a thunderous crash hit hard during their showdown against the Lions.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport dropped the news on X: DL Jones has suffered a torn triceps, sidelining him for the rest of the season. “Justin Jones tore his triceps and is out for the season, sources said after the MRI. He’s going on Injured Reserve. The respected veteran had started the first three games and was a key part of that defense,” Rapoport’s tweet read. 

Arizona splashed the cash on Jones this offseason, handing him a cool three-year, $30.1M deal. He’s started all three games this season, and losing him would be a brutal blow for the team. HC Jonathan Gannon faced the media post-game, channeling his inner comedian while delivering bad news. “The people that I talked about yesterday that got nicked a little bit, still working through some of those people right now with some different tests, meeting with doctors, stuff like that,” he joked, clearly not thrilled with the lack of clarity. 

And the injury bug didn’t stop at Justin Jones. DL Khyiris Tonga’s dealing with a knee issue, while OL Jackson Barton limped off with a toe injury, sporting a walking boot like it’s the latest fashion trend. The team even snagged another tackle for a workout—definitely not a good sign for their O-line depth.

Then there’s TE Trey McBride, who’s in concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Detroit’s Brian Branch. As Arizona nurses their injuries, the road ahead looks tough. Without DL Justin Jones, they’ll have to rally hard to stay competitive in a league where every game matters.

And just when it seemed like stuff couldn’t get more chaotic, we’re left scratching our heads over a referee’s confusing explanation of a questionable 2-minute warning call in the Cardinals-Lions showdown.

Jonathan Gannon’s skepticism faces reality as Cardinals miss momentum 

The Cardinals’ HC Gannon ain’t exactly sipping the momentum Kool-Aid. Despite an offseason deep dive into the concept, he’s still waving his skeptic flag. But the second quarter of the Cardinals’ 20-13 loss to the Lions might just have him flipping through the pages of that study guide again.

Arizona was all set to stage a glorious comeback. With Jalen Thompson and Owen Pappoe heating up Jared Goff like a pot of red chili, the QB was just trying to keep his cool. He scrambled, looking for a safety net, but instead found Mack Wilson Sr. ready for a pick-six. Wilson took off like a kid on Christmas morning, and the crowd could almost taste the tie.

But just as the excitement bubbled over, the referees dropped a bombshell: they blew the play dead. DEAD! They claimed the two-minute warning had snuck up on them before the snap. From the replays, it looked like Detroit got it off in the nick of time, but the officials weren’t having it.

“Mechanically, we have an official that is watching the clock, and what he had as a ruling was the clock was at two minutes and the ball was snapped,” explained referee Brad Rogers, diving into the technical mumbo-jumbo that left fans scratching their heads. “By rule, when the clock is at two minutes, it is then dead. We started killing the play by blowing whistles.” 

That went over like a lead balloon for the AZCardinals. Instead of celebrating an interception, they watched the Lions march down-field for a mind-bending seven-play, 72-yard touchdown drive. Ouch. Gannon, the ever-cool customer, shrugged off the debacle in his post-game remarks: “They call what they call.” Classic coach speak, but you could almost see the gears turning in his head.

As the Cardinals look to bounce back, they’ll need to channel this gut punch into fuel for their next game. In the NFL, every play counts, and sometimes, the only thing you can control is how you respond. So, while Gannon might be skeptical of momentum, he’ll surely be hoping his team finds some magic when it counts. After all, the road ahead’s paved with challenges, and this is one squad that needs to start hitting back.